Photobooths or photomachines that are controlled without an operator by vending machine mechanisms as self-service units are well-known.
These self-service photobooth units require that the subject using the facility produces "self-taken" photographs (or other recorded images such as video tapes, etc.) that are thereafter delivered to the subject. However, prior to activating the unit, the subject must adjust a seat, (usually vertically up or down), so that the subject is in the field of view covered by the camera lens. This is such that the subject's head will be well within the camera's field of view.
Known photobooths have a mirror or target marked over or next to the camera lens with instructions to the subject to be "eye-level" to this mark, and look at the mark when the picture is taken. In order to compensate for the inaccuracy of this method and to make sure all of the subject is within the camera's field of view, this field of view or picture area is made to cover a wider field than is really necessary to compensate for a subject not being in the correct position. This results in wasted areas in a finished photograph.
A child moving, or an improperly adjusted seat, can also result in a wasted or unsatisfactory photograph.
One object of the present invention is to provide an automatic picture taking machine with which height adjustment of the subject relative to the camera can be effected in a particularly convenient and effective manner.